NHL insider predicts how Penguins, Evgeni Malkin contract talks will end after Sidney Crosby comments

Ahead of the Memorial Day holiday, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar captain Sidney Crosby suggested that contract talks between Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin and the club were "in a good place in terms of getting something done."

On Tuesday morning, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic hinted that people around the league expect that the Malkin saga will only end one way. 

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"This will eventually get done," LeBrun said about the Penguins bringing Malkin back for at least one more season. "Malkin isn’t going anywhere. But it’s not done yet."

Crosby, Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang are the longest-tenured trio of teammates in North American professional sports history. Both Crosby and Letang are under contract, and Crosby recently revealed that he wants "to keep playing for as many years as possible." 

One would think that the Penguins’ new owners will want to keep Crosby and Pittsburgh fans happy. Additionally, LeBrun noted that Malkin had the most points per game (1.09) this season among pending unrestricted free agents.

That said, Malkin played in just 56 regular-season games in 2025-26, and he will turn 40 years old on July 31. Thus, some aren't convinced that Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas truly meant it when he insisted during his end-of-season news conference that he "would love to have" Malkin back.

Why Penguins haven't yet announced a new Evgeni Malkin contract

"Malkin turns 40 on July 31," LeBrun explained, "so it’s no surprise both sides are focused on a one-year deal. But it’s finding the sweet spot on the compensation that has remained elusive so far. Malkin’s (average annual value) was $6.1M this year, although with his front-loaded contract, his actual compensation was $4.8M. I would imagine the Penguins would be starting talks closer to that $4.8M, and the agent would be starting closer to the AAV. Because of Malkin’s age, the one-year deal could include bonuses, which would help massage the AAV."

LeBrun seems confident that the Penguins and Malkin will come to an agreement before the situation gets messy. However, Penguins fans who have been nervous about Malkin's future will likely continue to feel that way until Pittsburgh is able to announce that he has put pen to paper on a deal.